Birth Center cost vs. Hospital

Re: Birth Center cost vs. Hospital

• catsinawindow member

  July 2013

  My birth center lists a statistic on their website showing that the average cost of a birth center birth in the US is $2277 compared to $8920 for a vaginal birth with no complications in a hospital.

  Here's a link to the page:  https://www.midwifecenter.org/default.asp?iId=GFKIJE

  
  

  
  

  

  BFP#2:  EDD 2/11/14, MMC confirmed 7/15/13 (growth stopped at 6 weeks), D&C @ 12 weeks 7/25/13
  

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• mrssamarataylor member

  July 2013

  Thank you! That is very helpful!

  
  

        
  

  
  

            

  
  

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• headgear03 member

  July 2013

  My birth center costs 5,200 but the hospital is close to 9,000 that's for uncomplicated births and doesn't include epis or meds you might get.

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• melosch member

  July 2013

  I can only speak to the birthing center I am going to, but without insurance, all costs associated with care and birth add up to around $6000. My insurance doesn't normally cover an out of hospital birth and would only cover portions of the prenatal care at an out of network rate. We were looking at paying anywhere from $3-$4500, whereas our insurance would have covered a hospital birth at 100%. We wouldn't have had to pay a single copay or anything. 

  I found out a couple of months ago that I could apply for a Gap Exception in coverage. Because UHC doesn't have any out of hospital in-network providers, I applied for them to extend in-network coverage for my midwives and birthing center - I was approved! So now I'm expecting that they should pay for the cost in full and that means we'll get money back (from our initial payments).

  So, it really depends on where you are, what your insurance is and how many hoops you are willing to jump through to get extended coverage (when possible). I can tell you home births with the same midwives and care at the same facility here in PDX are around $3500 total - so if you wanted to do a home birth it would save quite a bit. 

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• pixieprincss member

  July 2013

  For DS2, we paid a bit under $4k OOP for a birth center birth (including prenatal and postnatal care) with a CPM.  For DS1, we paid $0 for a hospital birth (+$900 for a doula). The actual hospital cost was about $11k, but it was fully covered. We chose a hospital for DS1 for financial reasons. The hospital model was not a fit for us, and we've often regretted not finding a way back then. When DS2 came along, we found the money to pay OOP and it was worth every penny.

  

  
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• choppinbroccoli22 member

  July 2013

  Our OOP was a couple hundred less at a birth center vs. hospital, and this was on different insurances. Our first insurance (hospital birth) was a little more comprehensive, too. The total cost for the birth center birth was a lot lower. I have put some of the differences out there to see where the money went:
  

  birth center--had baby at 11:30 am, labored under constant watch of two midwives, was discharged that evening. Newborn care was excellent and we followed up with our pediatrician the next day.
  

  hospital-- had baby at 10 pm after continuous monitoring, pitocin and narcotic. Main support was on intermittent basis from nurses on shift, and midwife on shift checking in. Was discharged two mornings later after mandatory two-night stay. Followed up with pediatrician within the week.
  

   

  

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